Flying is Safely Falling
by 221bdeductions
Summary: Every angel flies differently but little Castiel's favorite to watch is the messenger Gabriel. When Gabriel flies he shoots through the sky faster than any star and looks so free. Castiel longs to be just like that, if only his little wings would grown faster. Learning to fly fanfiction. Brotherly Fluff because my other in-progress story has depressed me.


Castiel thought learning to fly would be fun. Only his father knew just how long he'd spent watching his older brothers fly and dreaming about when his small wings would be big enough for him to join them. Castiel loved seeing all the different colors in the open air.

Every angel flew differently and Castiel wondered how he would fly. Michael flew with control and powerful beats of his huge white wings. Balthazar would give a few quick flaps before tucking his wings and dropping, then soaring back up. Anna glided through the skies like a kite. Castiel's favorite sibling to watch fly would always be Gabriel.

Gabriel would shoot through the skies at a speed that Castiel could barely follow with his eyes. His golden wings made him look like a shooting star, a fire ball of uncontrolled energy. There was no pattern, just whatever Gabriel felt like doing. Sometimes he would dive, and sometimes he would twirl in the air. Though it would always change, one thing was always the same. Gabriel always looked free. He was free. None of their siblings could catch up to him in the air. Castiel's older brother could go where ever and do whatever he wanted. Castiel longed to be just like that.

Castiel flapped his wings as he jumped up and down. He was tired of waiting for them to grow. He'd tried to be patient, but Balthazar was just making it so hard as he flew a few feet in front of the edge of the cloud that Castiel was jumping up and down on. "Balthazar that's mean!" Castiel pouted as Balthazar smirked and barely held back his laughter as his little brother jumped and flapped his small black wings.

Balthazar shrugged and said, "It's not my fault I was created first Cassy." His sliver wings caught the light and Castiel felt that even they were mocking him. Balthazar landed for a second to ruffle Castiel's hair and tell him goodbye, before taking off again with laughter and a yell of, "Just be patient!"

Castiel pouted as he looked over the cliff. He didn't want to be patient! He'd been patient! He wasn't a baby and he needed to fly now.

Castiel's pride had been stung by Balthazar. There was a reason pride was dangerous. It lead people to do unwise things without thinking. The small angel walked up to the edge of the cliff and his wings twitched as they anticipated flying. Blue eyes widened as they took in the drop but narrowed after a few seconds in determination.

Castiel wanted to fly and he wanted it now!

The small angel closed his eyes and jumped. Castiel laughed as he felt the wind rush through his feathers it felt so right. In this moment, he knew that this is what he was made to do. On instinct his wings flapped quickly and Castiel felt weird. He felt as if things were moving around in his tummy, he couldn't breathe, and his thoughts came too fast. The feeling built as he realized he couldn't stop. Castiel didn't like this feeling. He would later realize that it was his first encounter with fear and panic.

Castiel let out a shriek as the ground approached. At that moment, he slammed against something warm and the ground was blocked from his view as bright gold surrounded him. Castiel felt the new found feeling of fear fade away as he was no longer falling. He felt something wet on his cheek and wiped at it only to find his eyes wet. Castiel gasped and yelled, "I'm leaking!' He looked up and realized who had caught him.

Gabriel laughed and said, "That's what happens when you jump off a cloud before you can fly kiddo. You're fine, except you think that flying with those little things is a good idea. News flash, it's not." He held Castiel with one arm while the other gestured to the small black wings. Castiel stared up at his older brother with awe. He didn't say anything and Gabriel started to feel a bit uncomfortable.

"Um kiddo. You okay?" Gabriel began to fly them back up and Castiel nodded quickly and stated, "I am unharmed. You caught me!" Castiel looked so happy when he said the last part. His blue eyes shone and he gave his older brother a huge smile. Gabriel felt like he'd been hit by a big wave of adorable.

He set the small angel down and said, "Of coarse I did. Why were you falling in the first place pipsqueak?" Castiel frowned at the nickname and tilted his head in curiosity. Yup. Castiel was definitely adorable. There was no doubt about it. Gabriel laughed when his little brother asked, "Why did you call me that? My name is Castiel." Castiel hid his face with his wings when his brother laughed. He didn't see what was funny and felt embarrassed not knowing. "I.. I wanted to fly. Everyone else can fly."

Gabriel sat down and patted the spot next to him. Castiel obediently sat next to his brother. He couldn't help glancing at the six beautiful golden wings. He looked at his small black ones and lowered his gaze to the ground. His were so ugly and useless.

Gabriel frowned as he watched Castiel try to hide his wings behind his back and stared ashamed at the ground. Gabriel wrapped one of his wings around his little brother and smiled when Castiel leaned into the embrace. Gabriel said,"Those are some nice wings you got there kiddo." Castiel stayed silent but his sad blue eyes told Gabriel the small angel didn't agree. "How about this, if you wait until your feathers are all grown I'll teach you to fly myself." Castiel's once sad eyes filled with excitement. "Really?!Why?"

Gabriel smirked and said, "Cause you're pretty okay Cassy and you're gonna be a great flyer." Castiel immediately asked, "How do you know?" He looked nervous as if afraid to hope too much. Castiel felt like he was flying at that moment. Gabriel, the messenger and amazing flyer, wanted to teach him to fly but, Castiel didn't understand why Gabriel would want to teach a silly kid who jumped off a cloud.

Gabriel chuckled and said, "Cause your not the only one to take the leap of faith before their wings are all grown. I remember giving Mikey quiet a few near heart attacks when I was your age." Castiel giggled imagining that. It seamed crazy that the fastest angel Castiel had ever seen had once been just like him.

The small angel asked, "Gabriel, what's it like to really fly?" Gabriel thought for a moment and answered, "It's that amazing feeling you get when the wind is running through your feathers but still being fearless because you control it. It's perfect."

Castiel nodded and summed up, "Flying is like failing safely." Gabriel nodded and picked Castiel back up. "Exactly. How'd you like to fall with me kiddo?" Castiel's blue eyes opened wide in disbelief. "You want to take me flying?" In answer Gabriel jumped off the cloud and smiled when he heard his little brother's gasp of surprise and then yells of delight and adrenalin as Gabriel sped up.


End file.
